1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 2 Kings 11; Micah 2

35But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?"36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.2But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.3He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.4In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the LORD. Then he showed them the king's son.5He commanded them, saying, "This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath--a third of you guarding the royal palace,6a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple--7and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king.8Station yourselves around the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes."9The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men--those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty--and came to Jehoiada the priest.10Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the LORD.11The guards, each with his weapon in his hand, stationed themselves around the king--near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.12Jehoiada brought out the king's son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, "Long live the king!"13When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the LORD.14She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, "Treason! Treason!"15Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: "Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "She must not be put to death in the temple of the LORD."16So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.17Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.18All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the LORD.19He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the LORD and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne,20and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.21Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.

1Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.2They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance.3Therefore, the LORD says: "I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.4In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: 'We are utterly ruined; my people's possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.' "5Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.6"Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us."7Should it be said, O house of Jacob: "Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Does he do such things?" "Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright?8Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle.9You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever.10Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy.11If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people!12"I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.13One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head."